Week 9

Super Crew!

 Wow - this season seems to be flying by! Week 9 was the second "Supercrew" week of the season where Crew 1 and 2 teamed up to work on the Flint Gap to Shelton Graves relocation.  Together, they completed nearly 500 feet of new trail including several grade dips to help shed water.  

Taking a break :)

Digging sidehill

Building a log crib retaining wall

Week 8

It's always fun on Konnarock :)

Crew 1 spent the week with the Carolina Mountain Club working on the Flint Gap to Shelton Graves Relocation.  Konnarock and the club have been working on this project for the past few years and completed another 287 feet of sidehill this week!  

Indian Pipe along the trail

Getting roots out of the new trail

Feels good to build new trail!

Building trail... the future A.T.!

Crew 2!

Crew 2 headed north to work on the Thunder Ridge Relocation with the Natural Bridge AT Club.  They built nearly 1000 feet of new trail as well as some rock cribbing and steps.  This was the second year Konnarock worked on this project, moving the trail on to more sustainable sidehill.

What a GREAT week!

Week 7 ... back at it!

Trail snacks -- getting ready for a week out!

After a 2 week mid-season break, the staff headed back to base camp to kick off the second half of the season!  They even mixed up the crew leaders with Tori and Kathryn leading Crew 1 and Josh and Susan leading Crew 2.

Czar - base camp coordinator - welcoming the volunteers

Crew 1 headed up to Pearisburg to work on the ongoing New River Relocation project.  This relocation of approximately 5 miles of trail has been in progress over the last 6 years.  Working on a section requiring a lot of rock work was slow moving, but the results 


were great!  They put in 11 new rock steps as well as cribbing and drainage features.  The volunteers were treated to a potluck dinner at Woods Hole Hostel and were lucky enough to spend an evening with owners Michael and Neville at their beautiful home.

Crew 2 went to work on the Three Ridges Overlook Rehab with the Old Dominion AT Club.  They installed 24 rock steps and rehabed nearly 400 feet of trail.  The crew definitely didn't go hungry this week -- thanks to a potluck provided by the club!  Thanks ODATC!  It was a hot week, but the crew stay energetic and had a great time working on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail!

Crew 1!

Yea - Konnarock! 

Enjoying the view from Rice Fields after a long day of work!

You may get a  little dirty if you sign up for the Konnarock Crew :)

Helping out in the kitchen! 

Loaded van ... headed out for a week of fun and hard work!

Crew 2 at the trailhead

We like to move big rocks!

Newly rehabed section of trail

Putting in rock steps

Thanks to all of our volunteers for another great week!!!

End of Season Celebration -- You're Invited!!

 

You’re invited to the Konnarock Trail Crew

End of Season Celebration!

Monday, August 13, 2012 – 5:00 p.m.

at the Konnarock Base camp in Sugar Grove, Va

We hope you can join us in celebrating the 30th year of the Konnarock Volunteer Trail

Crew and the 75th anniversary of the Appalachian Trail completion! We want to take

this opportunity to thank our partners and volunteers for all that they do for the protection

of the Appalachian Trail.

What you can look forward to:

• Hearing about the crew’s great achievements
• Watching a slideshow of highlights from the season
• Mingling with other volunteers, club members, ATC and agency staff
• Listening to some great music
• and.... enjoying some of Czar’s amazing cooking! (dinner will be at 6:00pm)

Please RSVP by August 1st

RSVP to Angie Sheldon - asheldon@appalachiantrail.org or 540-953-3571

Half way there...

It's hard to believe the Konnarock Crew has finished up the first 6 weeks of the 2012 season!  While our crew staff enjoy a two week break, we are compiling data and photos to brag about all the awesome work they've done so far!  

Mid-Season Stats:

• 96 volunteers have contributed 3,840 hours of work so far -- WOOHOO!
• The Konnarock Crew has installed 238 rock steps and 82 log steps
• They've dug over 2,300 ft of new trail and redefined another 2,200 ft

What could make the second half of the season any better?! If YOU signed up for a week or more! We're still looking to fill spots for the last 6 weeks of Konnarock - July 5th through August 13! Learn more and get registered HERE.

Week 6

During week 6, both crews joined together to form a super crew to work with the Mt Rogers AT Club.   They packed up their packs, grabbed trail tools and hiked up to the Mount Rogers high country for a week in the backcountry. 

Super Crew!

                                 

Amazing views from camp

Pony in the High Country

   




















Thanks to the USFS for bringing supplies up to the high country and to Anne Maio of MRATC for watching over it before the crews arrived. Unlike a typically Konnarock week, these volunteers camped out a way from cars and civilization – but in the company of many “wild” ponies!   

Dedication to the Trail :) 

New Rock Steps

Hard at work, but having fun!

The popular high country’s unique geology and soil type leave it prone to trail braiding and erosion.  The crews went to work hardening sections of the trail, eliminating social trails, and installing rock steps and water bars to prevent further erosion.  

Hardening the tread

Super Crew Kitchen in the High Country

Week 5

Crew 1

Crew 1 went down to Tennessee to work on the Beartown Mountain Relocation with the Tennessee Eastman Hiking Club.  They put in several rock and log steps and built over 200 feet of new trail.  

Sweet campsite for the week!

Digging new trail

Enjoying some good music after a long day of work

Soaking in the amazing sunsets :)

Using the rockdrill to create steps

Crew 2 went north this week to work with the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club to rehab trail between VA 311 and McAfee Knob - a very heavily used section.  They put in 50 new rock and log steps and several waterbars to help prevent trail erosion.

New log steps

Taking in the view at McAfee Knob

Crew 2

Hard a work!

Check out more photos from the Konnarock Crew HERE